The Transfer Tavern

According to a recent report from ESPN, defender Luke Shaw could well be on the move if he continues to struggle earning first team football. The left back has found life tricky at Manchester United since his move from Southampton back in 2014, to the point that he has fallen behind winger Ashley Young in the pecking order at Old Trafford under current manager Jose Mourinho.

Yet news that the 23-year-old could well seek to end his nightmarish spell at United if things don’t improve should be of interest to Mark Hughes’ Southampton, who as such should be ready to pounce on the chance to potentially seal a bargain deal for the defender.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the England international simply hasn’t been able to replicate his Saints form since his move to the North West three years ago, with a combination of injuries, a lack of form, and a seemingly strained relationship with manager Mourinho restricting Shaw to just 66 senior appearances for the Red Devils.

Remarkably, that is one less than he managed in his short stint at Southampton to underline the struggles the 23-year-old has had at Old Trafford – thus, it is somewhat unsurprising that he could seek to leave on a free if things don’t improve this season.

And given how impressive Young has been since filling in at left back for United, to the point that he represented England at the World Cup as a left back, it’s difficult to see things picking up for Shaw, thus bringing into play the possibility of a free transfer in the summer.

And Southampton must be ready to pounce if such eventuality plays out.

After all, it was at St Mary’s that the 23-year-old made a name for himself and subsequently earned a move to Old Trafford, while the young defender was also being tipped to be England’s next big-thing in that position as a result of his efforts on the South Coast.

And the chance to return to the place that he enjoyed the best time of his career and played his best football may well be of interest to the left back, as it seems pretty clear that things aren’t improving at United, and as such he simply isn’t progressing as a defender.

Thus, with the chance of landing Shaw on a free transfer very much a possibility for Hughes’ men, they must seek to pounce were such eventuality to play out in the coming months.